Fishing with live worms

Most people started out fishing, using a simple rod and reel with a worm on the end of the hook with good reason: worms do catch fish. There is not likely a more popular fishing bait on the planet than the good old worm. Night Crawlers, Red Wigglers, and Earth Worms are live bait for everything from small sunfish and crappies to catfish, perch, walleye, bass, bluegill, and more.

Worm fishing tips for all anglers

Use Light Line – When using live worms as bait for fishing the lighter your fishing line is the more bites you will receive. This is especially true in cold clear water where your line is highly visible to the fish. Most anglers use fishing line that’s much too heave for the fish they are trying to catch so when fishing with worms use light fishing line.

Clean Your Hands – When fishing with worms (either live or synthetic) it is important that your hands are free of unnatural scents. Any scents that are present on your hands will transfer to your bait and cost you bites. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to wash your hands with odor neutralizing soap or simply rub your hands in a handful of grass before baiting your hook. Both of these solutions will help clean your hands of unnatural scents which may be present.

Cast out your live worm and carefully observe the float for any ripples up and down action or movement through the water. These are indicators of a fish biting or nibbling the worm.

To set up your fishing pole to fish with live worms on the bottom. Refrain from putting a float on the line. Attach two medium to large split shots on the line 15 to 25 inches from the hook and thread your live worm onto the hook.

Cast the split shot rig out to where fish like to frequent such as underwater structures like logs boulders and fallen trees. Hold your fishing pole or lean it against a “Y” shaped stick stuck into the ground. Feel for a tug on the line or watch the line and rod tip for movement.

Baiting live worms on a fishing hook

The Traditional Method

Step 1 Hook large earthworms by piercing in two places with a single hook. Grasp the hanging end of the worm and position the worm alongside the hook tracing the hook pattern to it’s point. Pierce the worm again where its body meets the point.​​

Step 2 Hook earthworms just once for a more natural appearance by impaling the worm along the side of one end. Leave the rest of the worm to move on it’s own.

Step 3 Cut a small worm into pieces and attach multiple parts when using small single hooks.

Step 4 ​Attach meal worms by threading from one end to the other on a single hook. Pierce at the tip and guide the hook through the length of the body until the point appears at the opposite end.

Step 5 Hook small worms by using multiple worms pierced by a single hook along the center of the body and stacked closely together. ​

The “Off The Hook” Method (The Best Fishing Hooks For Live Worms)

No need to pierce the body of the worm several times.

killing your live bait before casting. The Off The Hook Easy Bait Hooks are live bait fishing hooks that keep your bait alive longer and allows worms to wiggle freely underwater!